By Julie Bonnin
Green Right Now
With unpredictable winter weather wreaking havoc on traditional Currier & Ives skating scenes, synthetic ice 
may be the only thing that can salvage one of winter’s favorite pastimes.
So when skaters flock to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City Saturday for the Nov. 22 opening of a 150-foot rink that features a 17-foot tall stainless steel polar bear at its center, they will be gliding across a surface that feels like ice, but won’t consume huge amounts of water and refrigeration. The faux ice rink will operate through Feb. 28, and for holiday seasons to come.
